Diagnosis of Acute Myocardial Infarction and Patient Risk Stratification
Acute myocardial infarction (MI) can be grouped into ST-elevation and non ST-elevation MI. Diagnosis of MI
requires review of the patient’s symptoms and signs, ECG patterns and troponin levels. Some patients do not present
with the chest pain characteristic of MI. In these patients, angina-equivalent criteria need to be considered. Simple
risk scores such as the TIMI and HEART scores can help risk-stratify patients and determine the most appropriate
treatment strategy; these scores may be useful for GPs as well as in the emergency department.
Modern Medicine – October 2017
